BAGELS AND PRETZELS

BAGELS AND PRETZELS

I started trying out different combination of baking mixes to make bagels and this is the chewiest and tastiest and closest to regular bagels. Please do not substitute sugar or any other syrup for malt syrup (that is being used in the boiling stage of the bagel production). Malt syrup gives the greatest bagel flavor and color. It is available in health food stores.

DOUGH INGREDIENTS:

2 cups (230 gm) TC Bread mix1 ½ tsp salt

1 ¼ cups (140 gm) TC Multi-baking mix1 packet instant yeast

1/2 tsp dry herbs of your choice1 ½ cups warm water

3 tsp sugar

BOILING WATER:

2 Tbs malt syrup (available in health food stores)

2 quarts water

BREAD MACHINE METHOD:

Combine all the ingredients for the dough in the machine pan according to manufacturer's instruction and set the machine to dough setting. Depending on the machine it may take around 1 hour.

KNEADING AND BAKING: During the last 15 minutes left in the rising time (dough cycle for bread machines), bring the water and the malt syrup to a boil in a big pan. Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Grease lightly a large baking sheet. When the dough cycle is completed take the dough out of the pan and knead it on a board sprinkling the starch lightly if necessary until all the air is removed. Pinch off 10 equal pieces and roll them into balls. Make a hole in the center of the ball and stretch it with your hand until it is the size of a big bagel.

Reduce the heat of the boiling liquid until it is on low simmer. Softly drop 4 bagels at a time to the slow boiling liquid and let them boil for 30 - 40 seconds on one side. Turn them over and let them boil for 40 more seconds. Check that the boiled bagel is nicely rounded on both sides. That is the indication that the bagel has cooked enough on both sides in the syrupy water. The bagels would also have plumped up. Do not let them boil for more than 40 seconds since they will become too sticky and tough.

Drain on a kitchen towel to remove the excess liquid and repeat for all of the bagels. Place the drained bagels in the greased baking tray and bake in the oven for 9 minutes and turn all the bagels to the other side. Bake them again for 9 more minutes on the second side. By this time (after the second baking) the bagels should be brown and shiny, if not bake them for a minute or more until they are. Do not bake them too long. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for 10 - 15 minutes. Store them in a plastic bag in a cool place for couple of days. They can be frozen in plastic bags and reheated in an oven. Do not store in the fridge since it dries out the bagels. These bagels can be sliced and toasted, spread with margarine or butter. They taste very good used with onion rings, lettuce, a slice or two of tomato, cucumber and Imitation cheese slices, as great sandwiches.

MANUAL METHOD:

In a big bowl combine 1 tsp sugar, the yeast and 1/2 cup of warm water and cover it. Let it sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is bubbly and frothy. Now add all the other dry ingredients to the yeast mixture. Mix it thoroughly with a wooden spoon, adding the rest of the warm water.

Mix it well until the all the ingredients gather together. Use your hand to knead the mixture into a smooth dough. Cover and leave in a pre-warmed oven to rise for 1 hour. (This can be done by preheating the oven for 2 minutes at 200ºF and switching it off).

Take the risen dough out of the oven and follow the instruction for kneading and baking as described above.

Makes 10 bagels

PROTEIN (gms)

METHIONINE (mg)

PHENYLALANINE (mg)

LEUCINE (mg)

CALORIES

per recipe

4.2

83

198

362

1761

per bagel

0.42

8.3

19.8

36.2

176

VARIATION: RAISIN BAGEL

Instead of the herbs add ½ tsp ground cinnamon and 1/3 cup of raisins to the dough toward the end of the kneading when the machine beeps for any additions. If your machine doesn't beep for additional ingredients add them after 5 minutes into starting the kneading cycle and mix well with a rubber spatula while the dough is still in the bread pan in the machine.

For manual method, add the raisins and cinnamon instead of the herbs and knead the dough as specified.

PROTEIN (gms)

METHIONINE (mg)

PHENYLALANINE (mg)

LEUCINE (mg)

CALORIES

per recipe

5.7

135

232

395

1903

per bagel

0.57

13

23

39

190

ONION AND GARLIC:

Along with the dry ingredients add ¼ tsp dried garlic powder and ½ tsp dried onion flakes. The overall nutrient values of the recipe don't change much with the addition of dried onion and garlic.

INGREDIENTS PREPARATION: 5 -10 MINUTES FOR BREAD MACHINE OR MANUALLY.

RISING TIME: 1 HOUR AT LEAST

STEAMING TIME: 1 MINUTE / PER BATCH

BAKING TIME 18 - 22 MINUTES.

STORAGE: Bagels can be stored in a zip lock bag when cool and used within a day or two. For longer storage store in the freezer in a zip lock bag and defrost each bagel for 10 - 20 seconds in the microwave wrapped in a paper towel. Slice and then toast them. Frozen and thawed bagels taste better toasted .

VARIATION: SOFT PRETZELS

The same dough can be used to make soft pretzels instead of bagels when shaping the dough. Instead of making bagel shape roll and make pretzels and proceed as above.